So you want to be a content creator. You should know there are challenges associated with one of the most popular new professions from this brave new digital age of ours. But what if there was a kit that allowed anyone to become a content creator straight out of the box? That’s the idea behind the Canon Content Creator Kit. Find out all there is to know about this kit in this Canon Content Creator kit review.
Canon Content Creator Kit specifications
In this very colorful box, would-be content creators get three items to start them on their journey to internet stardom.
- Canon EOS M200 Compact Mirrorless Digital Vlogging Camera: This fast and accurate camera packs big things in a package that could fit in most pockets. It features full-blown 24.1 megapixel images, along with 4K video and time-lapse filming capability.
- Tripod Grip with Remote Control: It’s a camera stand, it’s a selfie stick–no, it’s both! Its back legs fold out to provide a stable and steady mount. Or, if you want to vlog on the go, collapse them in to make a handy selfie stick.
- 32 GB SD memory card: Self-explanatory. Where else would you save all those quality images and videos? It’s pretty standard memory nowadays.
Before reviewing the kit as a whole, let’s first address its two main component parts. First, up, the camera.
Canon EOS M200 Camera, a pocket-sized powerhouse
The first part of the Canon Content Creator Kit review is the camera, of course. This is one of Canon’s finest mirrorless offerings, which is the kind of thing you want when shooting a good quality vlog. Here are a few of the device specs.
- Camera type: mirrorless interchangeable lens camera
- Lens mount: Canon EF-M, though lenses are interchangeable
- Max Resolution: 6000 × 4000 or 24MP
- Shutter Speed: 1/4000 s to 30 s
- Image processor: DIGIC 8
- Video recording: 1080p (60, 30 and 24 fps)
- LCD screen: 3″ with 1,040,000 dots
- Battery : LP-E12
- Data Port(s): Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth
- Dimensions: 4.26 in × 2.64 in × 1.38 in
- Weight : 0.659 lb with battery
Mirrorless cameras are more mechanically simple than the coveted DSLR, but still maintain many of the features such as quick shutter speeds and ease of use. My previous camera was a Canon EOS Rebel T5, and much of the interface is all too familiar.
What sets this one apart from my previous one is that it comes with wireless Bluetooth capability. This means you can shoot directly from your camera but import to a laptop or smartphone. You can also mirror your camera screen on a device with the Canon Camera app to make sure everything you’re shooting looks exactly the way you want it to. Mind you, like any great camera with video capabilities, the viewscreen flips up and faces the front of the camera as well. Still, the option is a welcome one. And taken together, all things a would-be content creator would want from a camera.
What about filters? To that, I say, “Instagram, shminstagram.” The EOS M200 has all the built in image filters you want. Use one of the ones already programmed in, or customize one yourself. Everything from saturation, to contrast, and even background blur can be selected before you ever hit the shutter button. Here are a few of the preset settings I used.
Canon EOS M200 Camera pictures
- Jodah, in his habitat: my big round son feels comfortable around monitors. He loves to sprawl his long body across surfaces, moreso if it’s an inconvenience to anyone. Jodah is an agent of chaos, but try not to fall in love. Taken with the auto focus setting.
- Me, sort of: there’s a dedicated self-portrait shooting mode. Not only does it allow you to blur the background, it even smooths out your skin. I’m only showing half of my face to preserve my mystique.
- Almost a geranium: using the closeup setting, I was able to put this baby flower trying to bloom in the spotlight. There are also dedicated landscape shooting settings if you’re into sprawling scenes.
- Raspberry tart: using some lovely natural morning light and the food shooting setting really made my breakfast pop.
Once content is shot, simply import it wirelessly to your device of choice, or slide out the SD card and import it the old fashioned way. The rest, as they say, is up to you.
Tripod Grip HG-100TBR: More magic wand than tripod
This tripod is made with the EOS M200 in mind, but any mountable camera that doesn’t exceed 1kg could be used here. The mount at the end of the tripod swivels just shy of 180 degrees. Just under it, there’s another swivel which allows for full 360 degree movement, with locking positions at each of the cardinal directions.
And remember, this isn’t simply a tripod. It’s also a handy selfie stick. What do all these features combined mean? Nearly infinite possibilities at nearly infinite angles. At least, as far as content creation goes, anyway. And in the shaft of the tripod lies a handy wireless remote, that connects to your camera via Bluetooth. There’s a dedicated shutter button on it, along with an auto focus so you can make sure the video is crystal clear even when the screen isn’t facing you.
You can even slide the remote out of the tripod if you need to, say, operate the camera from up to 16ft away. After all, my cats only engage in hijinks when they think I’m not looking. Same goes for any future viral TikTok pranks you may be planning to pull on family members, loved ones, or enemies.
Canon Content Creator Kit Review: Is it Worth It?
You’d be surprised how many current influencers, streamers, and all manner of content creators started their road to stardom shooting on crummy old iPhone cameras. At the end of the day, quality doesn’t always rule the day–the dreaded search algorithms do. Still, I can’t think of many massive channels with subscribers in the hundreds of thousands to millions still shooting in 240p. Quality, like truth, will out. And don’t prospective viewers deserve 4K clarity?
The Canon EOS M200 is a fantastic stand-alone camera, and will be one of the best pals a budding content creator can have. You can’t beat the kind of clarity it offers. Pairing it up with a tripod that is also a self stick is also a pretty clever idea. However, there are two things crucial in content creation that this pack doesn’t address that you should also keep in mind.
- Lighting: Makeup tutorials and cooking videos would be unwatchable without these. I’m surprised the content creator kid didn’t come with some sort of inexpensive lighting attachment for the camera. Luckily, one can be had pretty cheaply. Or maybe wherever you’re shooting already has ideal lighting. Lucky you!
- Sound: I was surprised to find no dedicated microphone port in this camera. I suppose I shouldn’t be, considering that it’s main selling point is portability. However, there is a USB port on the side which some camera microphones utilize. Not to mention, the tripod came with an attachment to mount said microphone.
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, dropping the serious chunk of change on this kit really depends on the sort of content creator you want to be. If you want to make high quality crisp videos for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and countless other content depots, the EOS M200 will render some seriously gorgeous film. You can be sure it will capture high speed action shots from dazzling nature to bustling wildlife all with a few simple clicks.
If you’re more indoorsy, lighting may occasionally be an issue. What the built-in flash doesn’t solve, inexpensive lighting solutions should. If you’re looking to do something like, say, ukulele covers of Toto songs, don’t forget the microphone, and make sure that it’s USB compatible.
Besides these little caveats, there’s nothing I can truly ding device for in this Canon Content Creator kit review. It does what it markets itself as, and it does it beautifully. If you’re looking to upgrade to a portable and handy kit to shoot high quality still images and video, Canon Content Creator Kit will do just that. If you want to trade portability for even more features, the Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Video Creator Kit may be a smarter choice. It trades the slimmed down EOS M200 for a the stodgier EOS M50, but comes with a Rode VIDEOMIC GO Microphone for audio fidelity.
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